Wilkes University Remembers Addy Malatesta

Wilkes University Remembers Addy Malatesta

Wilkes University mourns the passing of Adelene "Addy" Malatesta, who served the campus community for 34 years, including 23 years as director of athletics. Her long career in teaching and collegiate athletics was marked by many honors, including induction into the Wilkes Athletics Hall of Fame, the Middle Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame and the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. Her true legacy, however, lives in the relationships she built, the students she mentored and the example she set.

Malatesta grew up in Berwick, Pennsylvania with her parents, Joseph and Mary Malatesta, brothers Paul and Joe and sister Rosann. A standout student-athlete at Berwick Area High School with varsity letters in field hockey, basketball and softball, Malatesta went on to pursue a degree from Slippery Rock University before returning to Berwick as a teacher and coach. She guided Berwick's field hockey program in 1981 to a PIAA District 4 championship while also earning a master's degree from East Stroudsburg University.

In 1982 she accepted the offer to become an assistant professor of health and physical education and to coach the field hockey team at SUNY Potsdam. Her teams qualified for the New York State Championship three seasons and she was selected to coach in the Empire State Games in 1984 and 1985.

Malatesta then returned to northeastern Pennsylvania and joined Wilkes in 1989 as head field hockey coach, a role she held until 2002. As the program's all-time winningest coach, she led the Colonels to a record of 140-113-9 with her teams marking eight seasons with 10 or more wins. Malatesta was twice named the conference coach of the year, in 1993 as the MAC Coach of the Year, and in 1999 as the Freedom League Coach of the Year. Multiple players coached by Malatesta have been named to National All-American teams and All-Region teams.

The Colonels won the Freedom Conference championship five times under Malatesta's leadership and were ECAC Mid-Atlantic Champions three times. In 1999, the Colonels finished with an overall record of 14-8, winning the Freedom Conference title and capturing Wilkes' first-ever MAC field hockey crown. During the 1995 season, Malatesta guided the Colonels to the NCAA Division III championships, in a season when the Colonels were ranked as high as 11th in the country.

Malatesta also coached softball for five years at Wilkes, leading the Colonels to a record of 60-52-1 from 1990 to 1994 with appearances in the MAC tournament in 1994 and ECAC tournament in 1992. The 1994 team was 17-6 which was the second most wins in program history up to that point. Malatesta coached 10 All-MAC Northwest League members from 1990-1993 and five All-Freedom League Members in 1994.

In addition to her experience as a coach, Malatesta was the chairperson for the MAC Field Hockey Games committee. She has also served on the NCAA Division III Regional Field Hockey Selection and All-American committees, and had a three-year stint as chairperson of the NCAA Division III National Softball committee. For her dedicated service to the MAC, Malatesta received the 2019 MAC Lou Sorrentino Award, presented to the MAC athletics administrator who has had a sustained and influential role in conference and national affairs and embodies the NCAA Division III philosophy.

In 2000, Malatesta became Wilkes University's athletics director, a role that allowed her to further champion opportunities for student-athletes and to position athletics as an integral part of both the student and academic experience. Her contributions as a mentor and leader earned her the Wilkes President's Award for Excellence and the Wilkes Ancestral Colonel Esprit de Corps award.

As athletics director, Malatesta oversaw significant enhancements to athletics facilities and programs, including the full renovation of the Henry Gymnasium in the Marts Center, Schmidt Stadium and building of Bruggeworth Field at the Ralston Athletic Complex as well as the expansion of the Munson Fieldhouse. Under her guidance, the Wilkes athletics program grew to as many as 23 varsity teams with over 550 student-athletes. She retired from Wilkes in 2023.

Malatesta was known for championing student success and approaching every situation with humility, compassion and through the lens of the Wilkes mission. She earned the respect of those around her not simply because of what she accomplished, but also because of the kindness, generosity and encouragement she shared so freely.

A full obituary is available here. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at St. Joseph Church in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. Donations in Addy's memory can be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church at 721 Monroe St. Berwick, PA 18603. For more information or to send condolences, visit mayofh.com.